Sofa bed



April 19, 1932. c. R. HULTGREN I SOFA BED Filed Feb. 7, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l c. R. HULTGREN SOFA BED Fil ed Feb. 7. 1927 April 19, 1932.

3 Sheets-Sheet N mvm\ w N wm Ciarzasf E15 Patented Apr. 19, 1932 UNITED STAT- PATENT OFFl-CE cmmL-Es nnumennn or cn xcaeo; ILLINOIS, assrenon TO s. KARPEN & 1330s; 1-

cnrcneo, "rumors, A conronnrion or wns'r VIRGINIA s m BED Application filed February 7, 1927; Serial Np. 166,386.

This invention relates particularly to sofabeds and constitutes a modification of the invention described in my application, Serial No. 165,557, filed Feb. '3, 1927.

The primary object of the present invention is to make provision, in the type of construction illustrated, for sufficient clearance between the bed-sections in the closed condition and in the opening and closing operations to accommodate a mattress, or bedding, between the bed-sections.

In the improved construction which is illustra-ted in the accompanying drawings, the rear bed-section is mounted on the short arms of two pairs of angular levers, one pair being located at each end of the main frame, and the'frontbed-section is mounted on the long arms of said'levers. Provision is made, however, for giving to one of thebed-sections a tilting movement followed by a leveling movement during conversion of the. structure from sofa-form to bed-form and vice versa. The relative movements of the two bed-sections are ,so regulated through the medium of the connections as to insure clearance between the rear lower corner of the front bedsection and the upper front corner of the mattress,or bedding, in the opening and closing movements of the structure.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in wh Fig. 1 is a'breken verticalsectionalview of the improved sofa-bed in extended condition; Fig. 2, a similar sectional view with the. upholstery springs and-mattress removed ,Fig. 3, ,a View similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating the position of the parts at a critical point while the rear portion of the front bed-see tion is being carried past the front portio n of (the folded mattress; Fig. 4, a sectional view of the structure in folded condition, this view showing in dotted lines a seat-cushion which does not appear 'in the other views; jF ig.15 a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the bed-sectionin another position; Fig. 6, a broken plan sectional view "t akenas indicated at l n 6 f F g- 2; s- 7, .a' rok n ve ca sectional view takenas indicated atjline' 7 e7 Of'Fig. '2; and Fig.8, a broken vertical sectional view taken as indicated at line 8- 8 ofFi 2. i V i In the description which follows, it is tobe understood that the views illustrate the construction at one end of the sofa-bed structnre, and that the parts are duplicated a the other end of the structure.

In the construction illustrated, A designates a main frame provided with endstandards A (one sliow lh a back A rear longitudinal connecting members A and a front longitudinal connecting member A B, a pair of mountingrbars (one at each end of the structure, only one being shown,ho wever), these mounting-bars being carried in a well known manner on br'aclret plates flfw' which are secured to the inner surfaces of the end-standards A near their lower front cor} ners; O, a pair of frontangular levers (one shown) having their short arms connectedby PiV tS 1 to the front portions of the mounting-b s a a ing thei lon 1 nected by pivots 2 with the front bed-section; 1), a pairofrear angular levers having their short arms connected by pivots 3 with the mounting-bars and having their v long arms connected by pivots 4 with the rear portion of the frontbed-section; a front bed-section carried by the long arms of the angular levers and shown equipped with .a

springbed-bottom E; F, a rearibed section s' dably m un i id l p ifilandfi which ,are connected, respectively, withvthe lb wsp it o 0f th f on a la l vers and the rear angular levers pivots wand 6 the rear bed-sectionibeing shown equipped with a spring bed-bottom .F Gr, a folding mattress mounted on the spring bed-hot,- s; rLa pai of e t q links sh w connected with the rear bedr-sectioniby pivots 7 and with the rear vangular levers by pivots 8'; l, counterbalance springs connected at their rear ends with studs [9 carried by the rear ends. of the mounting-bars and, connected at their front endsby studs 10 with lugs 11 with which the rear angular'leyers are equipped; J legs connected by pivots 12 withthe front portion of the front bedsectheir rear ends by pivots 13 with the long arms of the front angular levers and being connected at their front ends by pivots 14 with short extensions with which the legs are equipped at their upper ends.

The main frame of the sofa-bed may be of any desired construction. In the illustration given, it is to be understood that the end-standards A are rigidly connected togetherby the rear connecting members A and by the front connecting member A The bracket-plates B are rigidly secured to the end-standards of the frame, as by means of screws 15; and the mounting-plates B are equipped with studs 16 which engage slots 16 with which the bracket-plates are provided. The mounting-plates are additionally secured to the main frame by means of screws 17.

The front angular levers C are rigidly connected together by a bar 1 whose endportions form the pivots 1 which are connected withthe mounting-plates B, as shown in Fig. 8. The pivots 5 with which the slides 5 are equipped are of sufiicient length to form stops on which the long arms of the rear angular levers can rest when the structure is in extended condition, as shown in Fig. 8. Pivots 5 can turn either in the front levers C or in the clips 5, or both.

As may be seen from Fig. 3, for example, the short arms of the front angular levers are, in the illustration given, of less length than the short arms of the rear angular levers; also, the short arms of the front bellcrank levers are non-parallel with the short arms of the rear angular levers. In other words, the front pair of short arms are at an angle with respect to the rear pair of short arms. This will be understood by noting the angle between the dotted line 18-18 and the dotted line 1919 passing through the pivotal centers.

It will be noted that when the structure is unfolded from the condition shown in Fig. 4, the slide 6 will be elevated more rapidly than the slides 5, and thus the rear bed-section will occupy a forwardly and downward- 1y tilted position at the time that the rear portion of the rear bed-section is passing the front portion of the folded mattress or bedding, it being noted from Fig. 4 that in the completely folded condition of the structure the mattress G, in folded condition, is housed between the upper and lower bed-sections. The relative positions of the front and rear bed-sections at the critical point when the rear corner of the front bed-section is passing the front corner of the bedding is shown in Fig. 3. Because of the tilted condition of the rear bed-section, ample clearance is provided.

It should be added that. when the structure moves from the position shown in Fig. 2 or the position shown in Fig. 4, the lower bed-section is brought into a position sub stantially parallel with the upper bed-section. What may be termed the undulatory movement of the rear bed-section during its translation is due to the variation in the lengths of the short arms of the front and rear levers and to the fact that the pivotpoints 5 and 6 are describing different portions of their respective arcs during the turning movement of the levers. In other words, the connections between the levers and the rear bed-section describe non-parallel paths in the operation of converting the structure. When the structure is in the extended position shown in Fig. 2, the short arms of the front levers incline rearwardly somewhat and the short arms of the rear levers incline forwardly somewhat, so that a mutual bracing results which serves to prevent the structure from collapsing when the bed is occupied.

The control links H serve to keep the rear bed-section properly located on the slides 5 and 6, permitting only limited shifting movement of the bed-section on the slides during the operations of opening and closing the structure. The counterbalance springs I are placed under tension in both the open and closed positions of the structure.

The links K serve to actuate the legs J in a well known manner.

In Fig. 4;, L designates a loose seat-cushion which is supported by the spring-bottom E of the front bed-section when the structure is in sofa-form.

I/Vhen the structure is to be converted from sofa-form to bed-form, the cushion L is removed. The front bed-sect-ion is then lifted and drawn forwardly, the springs I assisting in this action.

After the structure has been unfolded, the

top section of the folded mattress is thrown forwardly to rest upon the bed-bottom E, it being noted that the sections of the mattress G are connected by a hinge-portion 20 (Fig. 1).

In converting from bed-form to sofa-form, the front section of the mattress is folded back onto the rear section, after which the structure is folded in an obvious manner. After the folding operation, the seat-cushion is placed upon the spring bed-bottom E with which the front bed-section is equipped. The short arms of the levers D are equipped with stops 3 adapted to support the lever C in the folded condition of the structure, as shown in Fig. 4.

The construction is strong and durable, may be operated with ease, and may be manufactured at moderate cost. It provides for the housing of a mattress, or a mattress and other bedding between the two bed-sections in the folded condition of the structure.

The front bed-section remains upright, or non-invertible in converting the structure from one form to another. This front bedsection is carried by the levers C and D by practically a parallel movement. On the other hand, the rear bed-section is given an undulating movement in the operations of raising and lowering it, as will be understood from Fig. 8. This permits the structure to pass the lower corner of the back A, it being noted that the back overhangs the rear portion of the space in the baseportion of the main frame in which the folded structure is housed in the manner shown in Fig. 4.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a sofa-bed; a main frame; a front pair of angular levers and a rear pair of angular levers adjacent the ends of said frame; means for pivotally connecting the ends of the short arms of said levers to the frame; a rear bed-section mounted on said short arms, the short arms of the front levers being at an angle to the short arms of the rear levers and of a different length; and a front bed-section mounted on the long arms of said levers. 7

2. In a sofa-bed; a main frame; a front pair of angular levers and a rear pair of angular levers adjacent the ends of said frame; means for pivotally connecting the ends of the short arms of said levers to the frame; slides pivotally mounted on the elbow-portions of said levers, the short arms of the front levers being of less effective length than the short arms of the rear levers; a read bed-section mounted on said slides; and a front bed-section mounted on the long arms of said levers.

3. In a sofa-bed; a main frame; a rear bedsection; a front bed-section; front and rear pairs of angular levers having elbow portions carrying the rear bed-section and long arms carrying the front bed-sections, one set of arms of one of said pairs of levers being shorter than the corresponding set of arms of the other pair and set at an angle with respect thereto, for the purpose set forth; and means for pivotally mounting the levers on the ends of the frame.

4. In a sofa-bed in folded condition: a main frame; a front pair of angular levers having short arms forming a given angle with respect to the long arms; a rear pair of angular levers having short arms forming a 7 larger angle with respect to the long arms,

greater length than the effective short arms of the front levers; a rear bed-section mounted on said slides; and a front bed-section mounted on the long arms of said levers.

5. In a sofa-bed: a main frame; front and rear pairs of angular levers, the short arms of one pair being inclined upwardly and rearwardly and the short arms of the other pair being inclined forwardly and upwardly in the extended condition of the structure; means for pivotally connecting the free ends of the short arms of said levers to the frame; a rear bed-section mounted on the elbowportions of said levers; and a front bed-section mounted on the long arms of said levers.

6. In a sofa-bed: a main frame; a front pair of angular levers and a rear pair of angular levers, the front pair of levers having short arms of less length than the short arms of the rear levers and disposed at an angle i with relation thereto; means for pivotally mounting the levers on the frame; slides mounted on the elbow-portions of said levers; a rear bed-section mounted on said slides; a front bed-section mounted on the long arms of said levers; and means for preventing undue shifting of the rear bed-section with respect to said slides during the opening and closing of the structure.

7. In a sofa-bed structure: a main frame; a front pair of angular levers having short arms; means for pivotally mounting the ends of the short arms on the frame; a front pair of slides; pivotal connections between said slides and the elbow-portions of said levers spacing said slides from said levers; a rear pair of angular levers having short arms and having long arms adapted to rest upon the pivotal connections in the extended condition of the structure; means for pivotally mounting the ends of the short arms of said rear levers on the frame; slides mounted on the elbow-portions of said rear pair of levers; a rear bed-section mounted on said slides; and a front bed-section pivotally connected with the free ends of the long arms of said levers.

CHARLES R. HULTGREN.

means for pivotally connecting the free ends 7 I of all of the short arms of the levers with the main frame; slides pivotally connected with the elbow-portions of said levers, the effective short arms of the rear levers being of 

